Classics Major

Professor Fratantuono

Classics is the study of ancient Greece and Rome, in particular the ancient Greek and Latin languages and literatures. Classics majors and minors study ancient Greece and Rome through direct access to the rich tradition of Greek and Latin literature in a variety of genres: epic, lyric and elegiac poetry; tragedy and comedy; ancient history and philosophy; classical mythology and religion.

Classics at Ohio Wesleyan has a long tradition that dates back to the very founding of the college in 1842. Advanced courses in Virgil; Homer; Tacitus; Sophocles; Horace; Pindar; Lucretius; Aeschylus (and many others) are offered alongside surveys of Roman Republican and Imperial history and literature; Greek literature and thought; and the hallmark of Classics at Ohio Wesleyan: small tutorials and independent studies on a variety of classical topics. Classics hosts a chapter of the national Classics Honor Society, Eta Sigma Phi.

Classics majors are well trained for a variety of career and lifetime pursuits; the Classics program at Ohio Wesleyan regularly sees its alumni/ae admitted to graduate programs in Classics, and has a rich tradition of scholarship and creative endeavors; Classics students are regularly afforded the opportunity to collaborate on scholarly projects with Classics faculty and to assist in cooperative research. Classics majors will often double major in another discipline; they are given a sound training in skills of critical reasoning and the rigor of close, careful analysis that makes Classics an attractive option either as a standalone major or in combination with another (especially for those interested in careers in law and medicine).

Classics students also have the ability to apply to study in Greece and Italy; they are introduced to a vibrant series of lecturers from top Classics programs who visit Ohio Wesleyan to deliver lectures in Classics. In short, Classics majors and minors are able to engage with the rich and varied treasures of the noble traditions of the ancient Greeks and Romans that stand at the very heart of western civilization.

Learning Objectives

The Classics major envisions a number of goals for its successful students, among them:

Proficiency in the ancient languages (Greek and Latin) to allow for the reading of straightforward poetry and prose with the aid of a dictionary/lexicon and standard commentaries;
Knowledge of the history and literature of ancient Greece and Rome, so as to be able to appreciate the writings of the classical authors in their temporal and spatial contexts;
The ability to use standard reference works and research aids that classicists employ in their scholarship;
The ability to address significant problems in classical scholarship through thoughtful prose that considers the varying positions of classical scholars and renders educated judgment after scholarly reflection.

Major Requirements

The Major in Classics requires ten (10) courses, of which six (6) must be in the original languages, chosen from among the following courses:

Classics Courses in Translation

The remaining four (4) courses must be Classics courses in translation (as listed below). Two (2) of these courses must be CLAS 310 - Archaic and Classical Greece and either CLAS 321 - The Roman Republic or CLAS 322 - The Roman Empire .

Note(s):

All majors in Classics must achieve advanced proficiency in at least one classical language (Greek or Latin) by completing a minimum of one (1) advanced level course in the language (e.g., GREE 330 or LATI 330 ). At least five (5) courses in the major must be numbered 250 or higher. All students of Classics (especially those interested in pursuing further work in graduate school) are strongly urged to study both Greek and Latin through the advanced level.

Classics students are urged to consider semester and summer study abroad opportunities in Greece and Italy (e.g., the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, the Intercollegiate Center in Rome, the American Institute for Roman Culture). Students intending to pursue graduate work in Classics are encouraged to pursue course work in both German and French.